Health Tips

How to Give Your Baby a Chance to Start Healthy

1. Seek Care Immediately Once You Know You are Pregnant: The health of your baby begins long before birth! Research shows that prenatal care plays an important role in have a healthy baby. It is very important to start receiving care in the first trimester of pregnancy. If you already have a doctor, call your doctor as soon as possible. If you do not have health insurance, any of the Worcester Healthy Start Case Managers can sign you up for health insurance. Just call 508-854-2124.
2. Healthy Nutrition: Eating healthy foods can keep you and your baby strong. Nutritionists recommend for each day (a) Milk and other dairy - 3 servings (b) Meats, Fish, Beans, and Eggs - 2~3 servings (c) Vegetables - 4 servings; Fruits - 3 servings (d) Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta - 9 to 11 servings. Try to eat foods from all the food groups each day.
3. Dental/Oral Care: Dental problems like cavities and gum disease can lead to infections that cause miscarriage or your baby being born too early. It is important even before you get pregnant to brush your teeth twice a day, floss daily and see a dentist at least once during pregnancy. Our Community Health Centers in Worcester have dental departments and would be able to schedule you to see a dentist.
4. Avoid Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs: Do not forget that no amount of alcohol is safe for a pregnant woman to drink. Drinking alcohol can make your baby sick and vulnerable to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome can cause mental retardation and behavior problems for your child. Avoid alcohol and other drugs while pregnant.

If you are pregnant or have a baby or child who is less than 2 years old, please call us at 508-854-2124 for support.

Daily Oral hygiene & Peridontal diseases

Research has shown that bad oral hygiene in pregnant women can lead to complications in pregnancy and problems for babies. Bacteria from a mother's mouth can be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn baby, and then could increase the risk of a premature delivery, a low birth-weight baby, premature onset of contractions, or infection of the newborn child. Good oral hygiene, frequent professional cleanings, adequate nutrition, and mouthwashes are important for women during pregnancy.

Taking 400 micrograms of Folic Acid daily

Consumption of folic acid before and during pregnancy daily can help prevent birth defects. Low folate and high homocysteine levels during pregnancy may provide a potential genetic mutation causing mechanism that increases the risk for a disorder in brain development. U.S. Public Health Service guidelines call for women of childbearing age to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.

Depression prevention & Stress reduction

One out of ten pregnant women may suffer from depression. Women with depression usually experience symptoms such as persistent sadness, difficulty concentrating, sleeping too little or too much, loss of interest in activities that they usually enjoy and anxiety. Depression is a serious medical condition and it poses risks for both mother and child. Call your health care professionals for help.

Smoke free Home

Smoking during pregnancy can cause low birth weight. Second hand smoke increases an infant's risk of SIDS. Quitting smoking or cutting down the number of cigarettes smoked during pregnancy helps improve your baby's health.

Avoiding all Alcoholic beverages during pregnancy

Drinking during pregnancy is dangerous. The more a woman drinks during her pregnancy, the higher the chance her baby will have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or other abnormalities. The baby can be born mentally retarded or with learning and behavioral problems that last a lifetime. In order to give your little one a healthy start in life, you should stay away from all alcohol beverages during your pregnancy.

Avoiding Drugs during pregnancy

Illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine or marijuana places an unborn baby at greater risk for a variety of physical and mental health complications. Pregnant women should avoid the use of any drug before conception and during pregnancy.

Good Nutrition during pregnancy

It's important to eat well when you are pregnant. You should load up on the foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Take balanced meals that contain calcium (found in diary food), folic acid (found in dark green vegetables, corn, cantaloupe, squash and beets), vitamin B12 (found in animal products), and protein (found in animal products including meats, milk and eggs). Do not skip meals, drink lots of water, and eliminate caffeine.

Physical activity

Low impact exercise and gentle stretching during pregnancy are healthy and can make labor and delivery easier.

Signs & symptoms of Preterm Labor & what to do about it

Watch for warning signs such as cramps, low and dull backache, frequent contractions, pressure of aching in your pelvis, groin or thighs, change in discharge, and gush or slow leak of fluid from your vagina. Contact your physician if you've observed these signs.

Labor and Delivery

Nervous about labor and delivery? Here are some of the most important things that you can do:

1. Talk to moms who have gone through it.
2. Prepare a checklist for things you are going to take with you.
3. Read some books and materials about what it feels like and what to expect.
4. Find a family member or friend for support.

Baby blues and Postpartum Depression

10~15% of all women experience postpartum depression. Women who have a history of depression have a high risk of experiencing postpartum depression. Look for professional help if you feel restless, anxious, fatigued and worthless.

Family planning

A woman's physical body has changed a lot during pregnancy. To give your body enough time to recover, it is usually recommended to wait for at least two years before becoming pregnant again.

Importance of Immunizations

One of the most important things that a mom can do is to make sure that her child receives all of the recommended immunizations on time. Vaccines stimulate the body's immune system to produce antibodies which are able to attack the virus or bacteria. They have been proven to be one of the most effective tools created to prevent infectious diseases, and help people have healthier lives.

Breastfeeding

Studies have shown that breastfeeding protects your baby from diarrhea, respiratory problems, and ear infections. Breast milk is the best food for your baby. Breastfeeding also helps the mother's body get back in shape.

Jaundice

Newborns may look yellow because of the high level of bilirubin in blood. Most babies develop mild and harmless jaundice in the first few days after birth. It takes a few days for the baby's liver to work better to removing bilirubin. In unusual situations the bilirubin level can get too high and might cause brain damage. This is why your doctor will always check for jaundice in the hospital.

Never shake a Baby

NEVER EVER shake a baby. Shaken Baby Syndrome can lead to blindness, brain damage, or even death.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) & Back to Sleep

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a healthy infant before its first birthday. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep. To reduce the risk of SIDS, always place a baby on its back to sleep.